Enrollment
461
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Conway, AR
Ellen Smith Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ellen Smith Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 050459000185
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ellen Smith Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools.
- #11 of 14
- elementary schools in Conway · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Arkansas
- 52.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ellen Smith Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ellen Smith Elementary School ranks #11 of 14 elementary schools in Conway, AR.
School address
District: Conway School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050459000185 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.9%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ellen Smith Elementary School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ellen Smith Elementary School
Ellen Smith Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Conway, Arkansas, enrolling 461 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Arkansas schools and 41% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 52.9% lands close to the Arkansas typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 461 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arkansas median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Among 269 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arkansas schools statewide, it ranks #208, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and African American (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Conway School District also operates Conway High West (2,350 students) and Conway Junior High School (1,568 students) alongside Ellen Smith Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ellen Smith Elementary School compares
Ellen Smith Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.2:1 | ▲ 41% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.9% | ▼ 11% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
461
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 92% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,673
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 461 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 39.3%
African American 31.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 39.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, Ellen Smith Elementary School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Conway School District, which includes Ellen Smith Elementary School.
$11,673
Per student
-5%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.3%
Federal 21.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ellen Smith Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway High West | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Conway Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl Stuart Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ruth Doyle Intermediate School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carolyn Lewis Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ellen Smith Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,350
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,568
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~461 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ellen Smith Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ellen Smith Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Conway School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ellen Smith Elementary School
How many students attend Ellen Smith Elementary School?
Ellen Smith Elementary School has 461 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Conway, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ellen Smith Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ellen Smith Elementary School is 19.2:1, which is 41% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ellen Smith Elementary School?
52.9% of students at Ellen Smith Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ellen Smith Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ellen Smith Elementary School is White at 39.3% of enrollment, in Conway, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ellen Smith Elementary School?
Ellen Smith Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ellen Smith Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Conway?
By Resource Investment Index, Ellen Smith Elementary School ranks #11 of 14 elementary schools in Conway, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Conway on the city page.
Is Ellen Smith Elementary School a good school?
Ellen Smith Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Arkansas schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Arkansas schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Conway School District?
Besides Ellen Smith Elementary School, Conway School District also operates Conway High West (2,350 students), Conway Junior High School (1,568 students), and Carl Stuart Middle School (752 students). See the Conway School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.